Monday, May 26, 2014

War Poets - American Police State

War Poets - American
Police State
2014, War Poets

Minneapolis-based
War Poets is comprised of bassist/vocalist Jenny Case and vocalist/guitarist
Rex Habeman, but the band is more than it appears. Born of the songwriting of some of the best
musicians in the Midwest, War Poets strives to bring a mix of socially
conscious songwriting, fun rock and roll and serious ballads in their
performances and recordings. War Poets
plans three new recordings to be released during 2014. The first is American Police State.

American
Police State opens with "Better Place", a low key song of hope with
melancholy undertones. This leads into the high intensity of
"Closing In", which is contained in a powerful rock arrangement with
faint hints of an old school R&B back beat. There's a vibrant energy here,
driven by an overt sense of societal angst. War Poets chill on "8:05 On a
Saturday Night", a stumbling ballad with silk-soaked country guitar and
talk/rap vocal style. This is a mess, but an intriguing one that pushes
convincingly against traditional genre boundaries. "Where Love Has Gone" lives
according to storytelling style that's monotonous in approach. When War Poets
get to the chorus and the subsequent bridge they come alive, but the song has a
choppy road getting there. The EP closes with "Red Lake", a middle of
the road closer that suffers from a lack of real energy and dynamics.

American Police State has its moments, but the effort is
uneven and at times, unconvincing.
There’s an eye for storytelling here, but also a sense that sometimes
the intended message overrides the musical decisions that may seem most natural. War Poets certainly have talent and an
admirable social intent, but the elements just don’t seem to jell here.